The unification of the Arabian Peninsula?

[al-Hasani]

Let's start a discussion regarding the topic of the GCC or the Arabian Peninsula unifying into 1 big country. Notice that there is a difference between the actual political borders of the Arabian Peninsula and the geographical borders which also consists of Jordan, Southern Iraq and parts of Syria.

How foreseeable is it and what is needed in order for it to become a reality?

I will give my own opinion later if this discussion evolves into something serious or interesting. For now I will just leave it to others to comment on. I am mostly interested in hearing users from the Arabian Peninsula and their opinion regarding this. Which on PDF translates to users from KSA mainly as there are not many active Arab users on PDF to begin with let alone users from Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Yemen etc. I actually think that there is none.

In the meantime I will just write some short facts. Only based on the current POLITICAL borders of the Arabian Peninsula mind you.

Area:
3,200,937 km2

If a country it would be the 7th biggest in the world.

Population:
Around 80,000,000 million as of 2014.

If a country it would be the 16th most populous country.

Economy:
GDP (nominal) $1,800-1,900 billion as of late 2014.

If a country it would have around the 10th biggest economy (GDP nominal)

GDP per capita as of late 2014:
Around $35,000 excluding impoverished Yemen.

If a country, excluding impoverished Yemen, it would be in the top 30 and among the richest considering size and population.

Let's not even discuss oil and gas reserves, natural riches in general, the strategic location, access to the Red Sea, Gulf, Arabian Sea and wider Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea through the nearby Suez Canal.

Let's not forget the economic prognosis that consistently place GCC economies as among the fastest growing and their GDP per capita as among the highest in the world a long time into the future.

Or the endless potential on almost all areas that are yet to even remotely be fulfilled due to political and social reasons mainly.

​

Try to look at this scenario not necessarily from the current glasses as of 2014 but in 10-20 years time for instance where political regimes, laws etc. can have changed tremendously.

This could also lead to regional unifications elsewhere in the Arab world. I think that this will be the way forward.

No trolling please as that's not the propose of this thread.

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[HRK]

'Need of the day' but won't happen till sometime

 

[al-Hasani]

'Need of the day' but won't happen till sometime

Yes, although the GCC has already shown the light and on many areas the GCC already acts like 1 country. So the process has already begun and it could include countries like Jordan that geographically are also part of the Arabian Peninsula and historically as well.

I think that if the Arabian Peninsula united into 1 country in let's say 20-30 years time this could lead to other regional unifications in the Arab world and maybe ultimately an Arab world in the light of the EU. I personally think that this is the future. By then necessary political changes would also have occurred (with all due probability) to implement such "projects".

 

[TSA321]

Yeah it should happen but won't for a while.

 

[HRK]

Yes, although the GCC has already shown the light and on many areas the GCC already acts like 1 country. So the process has already begun and it could include countries like Jordan that geographically are also part of the Arabian Peninsula and historically as well.

I think that if the Arabian Peninsula united into 1 country in let's say 20-30 years time this could lead to other regional unifications in the Arab world and maybe ultimately an Arab world in the light of the EU. I personally think that this is the future. By then necessary political changes would also have occurred (with all due probability) to implement such "projects".

Rather a 'single country' I believe a an Arabian Peninsula Union with a 'unified defense and economic system' would be more practical & efforts should be made in that direction even if it takes next 50 or so years.

 

[JonAsad]

Nice idea- but which tribe will the "King" come from?-
thats as much hard and complicated as looking for a "Caliph"-

 

[al-Hasani]

Rather a 'single country' I believe a an Arabian Peninsula Union with a 'unified defense and economic system' would be more practical & efforts should be made in that direction even if it takes next 50 or so years.

Mate, that's where the GCC comes into the place. I was thinking more in the light of the US. A federal state.

Nice idea- but which tribe will the "King" come from?-
thats as much hard and complicated as looking for a "Caliph"-

Well, all options are available. In 20-30 years time most countries will probably be governed by a constitutional monarchy with much lesser political powers than today. Who knows, maybe republics will emerge? I mean Yemen has been a republic for instance for almost 50 years. After being ruled by monarchs for 3500 years.

Also even if we say that nothing will change politically in the next 20-25 years (highly unrealistic) a single federal state governed by monarchs could still become a reality. In this case, as it would be a federal state, each head of state of federal state x or y could rotate as the head of state just like for instance the Presidency of the Council of the European Union rotates every six months.

There are already rotations in the GCC. "Secretary General" and "Supreme Council Presidency".

 

[HRK]

Mate, that's where the GCC comes into the place. I was thinking more in the light of the US. A federal state.

and for that one or more 'states' of the region having more power than the less powerful 'states' will have to defeat them ...

That's why I purposed EU Model... GCC is limited in its scope ...

 

[Armstrong]

Rather a 'single country' I believe a an Arabian Peninsula Union with a 'unified defense and economic system' would be more practical & efforts should be made in that direction even if it takes next 50 or so years.

80 million people combined.....damn my province (Punjab) has more people !

Either we breed like rabbits or the Arabs don't like babies !

 

[al-Hasani]

and for that one or more 'states' of the region having more power 'states' will have to defeat less powerful 'states' ...

That's why I purposed EU Model... GCC is limited in its scope ...

Hence the federal option bro. In the US you also have states that are much more powerful. It's the same in the GCC. It should not be a problem. If it was a big problem the GCC would not even exist.

80 million people combined.....damn my province (Punjab) has more people !

Either we breed like rabbits or the Arabs don't like babies !

But are there about 450 million Punjabis across the world like there are Arabs? Don't forget that we are second only to the Han Chinese. We can't catch up with them though.

Well, the populations on the Arabian Peninsula are some of the fastest growing. It's just that our populations were rather small just like all over the ME 100 years ago. In fact they were lower than 1000 years ago!

80 million is more than fine Buttstrong. Those numbers will quickly grow in the foreseeable future and I am not sure if that's a positive thing in a constantly more resource challenged world!

 

[HRK]

80 million people combined.....damn my province (Punjab) has more people !

Either we breed like rabbits or the Arabs don't like babies !

yara we belong to a conutry having population around 200+ million ....

phir bi haar dewar paar "Nauska-e-Khas" ka poster hai ...

 

[Mahmoud_EGY]

until now GCC are doing great and a good example in the middle east what i think the challenges are in the future
1 yeman( houthis al qaida north and south)
2 the different policys between some GCC states qatar

 

[PurpleButcher]

Well the first phase should be a unified currency.... like euro... but if i am not wrong there was this suggestion of a single currency but the dispute arose between bahrain and dubai as to who will host the hq of the unified finacial center... the foreign policy is already unified except for qatar. and defence is also contracted to usa... so there u go foreign/finance and defence , the fundamentals of unification.

Next thing is a unified visa which already exists for locals, the can travel and get on arrival visa but such facilities are not extended to exapts of gcc who want to come to KSA cause of umrah and hajj issues....

if these things get sorted out than GU like EU is very much possible in next decade but will require a political will and some compromises to be made for the greater good of the region.

 

[KingMamba]

You need to unite with your Arab brothers in Pakistan!

@Horus looks like another Indian troll.

 

[Kompromat]

It depends on how good of a political system you can create. A GCC federation technically can work but it would come at a peril of all not so powerful monarchies and they are not going to commit to it. Economy, defense, geopolitics, energy etc it makes complete sense but working out a fair federal model which works for conservative saudi arabia and liberal Bahrain and moderate UAE would not be easy.